MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho coach Paul Petrino’s early wish list was fulfilled Wednesday with the signing of eight junior college players to letters of intent to play for the Vandals.

“There are eight players that just made the Idaho Vandals a lot better,” Petrino said. “They’re all guys who can compete to start and play. I couldn’t be more excited to have them.”

All eight will be in Moscow when classes resume in January and begin training for the 2014 season.

The class stretches from coast to coast and beyond with two players from California (safety Doyin Sule and cornerback Marquis Wallace-Hatcher), one from Arizona (linebacker Daniel Peterson), two from Texas (defensive tackle Glen Antoine and offensive lineman Jeff Travillion), two from Florida (defensive lineman Max Martial and linebacker Irving Steele), and one from the Bahamas (offensive lineman Kato Fawkes).

“We were looking for guys that will have a chance to come in here and start,” Petrino said. “All these guys, I think, have a chance to come in and play.”

Some, he said, were at the top of the Vandals’ recruiting board, and all bring speed, athleticism and power to add depth to both lines as well as speed and skill to the linebacking corps and secondary.

“They give us immediate help; more depth,” Petrino said of the six defensive signees. “We’re real excited about that.”

He’s equally pleased with the additions of Fawkes and Travillion.

“We got the two guys that were our top two guys on the board,” he said. “We’re very, very excited about that.”

Glen Antoine

Defensive tackle

6-3½ , 325

Highland Community College/Round Rock High School

Round Rock, Texas

Antoine was an honorable mention Kansas Jayhawk Community College All-Conference selection as Highland advanced to the playoffs for the first time in school history. He had 32 total tackles and two tackles for loss in earning mention by 24/7 as the 26th rated defensive tackle in the nation in 2013. He played at Navarro Junior College in 2012.

A graduate of Round Rock High School, Antoine was ranked ninth among defensive tackles in the Lone Star Region and was 11th in the Centex Sweet 16.

Kato Fawkes

Offensive lineman

6-4, 305

Iowa Western Community College/Bishop Michael Eldon School

Freeport, Bahamas

Fawkes started every game for 11-1 Western Iowa and was a second-team Iowa Community College Athletic Conference selection. Iowa Western was the league leader in total offense (522.5 yards per game), passing offense (257.5 yards per game), completions (274), pass attempts (441) and touchdowns (28).

Max Martial

Defensive lineman

6-4, 305

Iowa Western Community College/Palm Beach Central High School

Wellington, Fla.

Martial started every game as a senior for 11-1 Western Iowa and was a member of the 2012 NJCAA National Championship team. In the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference, he was ranked 35th in total tackles among all players, which was ninth among defensive linemen. Iowa Western led the league in almost every defensive category – points allowed, total yards allowed, yards allowed rushing, yards allowed passing, interceptions and fumble recoveries.

Daniel Peterson

Linebacker

6-0, 175

Mesa Community College/Millennium High School

Litchfield Park, Ariz.

As a sophomore, he was Mesa’s tackle leader with 106 total tackles, which tied for first in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference. He also had six tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick. He had a career-high 14 tackles against Snow College and twice had 13-tackle games. As a freshman, he had 35 total tackles and six sacks. He had a season high of 11 tackles one in addition to one 10-tackle outing.

He was a first-team All-Region defensive back as a senior in high school as well as earning second team All-Arizona honors. He was Millennium’s MVP and its Outstanding Defensive Player. As a senior, he had 77 total tackles, two interceptions (one of which he returned 99 yards for a touchdown), eight tackles for loss, five pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.

Irving Steele

Linebacker

6-1, 220

Ellsworth Community College/Stranahan High School

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Steele was a team captain as a freshman and sophomore at Ellsworth as well as earning first-team All-Midwest Football Conference honors both seasons. He climbed the NJCAA rankings and finished eighth in total tackles (110), seventh in solo tackles (64) and 11th in tackles for loss (16) in addition to totaling five pass breakups, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and a half sack. During his freshman season, Ellsworth was 19th in the NJCAA poll.

At Stranahan High School, he played running back and linebacker as a junior, and split time between linebacker and defensive end as a senior. He was a second-team All-Broward County defensive end, and was chosen to play in two all-star games – Broward North vs. South and Dade All-Stars.

Doyin Sule

Defensive back

6-2, 190

Santa Ana College/Fullerton High School

Fullerton, Calif.

Sule was a second-team All-Southern California Conference choice after tallying 48 total tackles (31 solo and 17 assists) as well as four pass breakups, two tackles for loss, two force fumbles and one fumble recovery. He also had four games of eight tackles.

A graduate of Fullerton High School, he was a three-year letterman in both football and track. He was a first-team all-conference choice as a senior after earning second-team recognition as a junior.

Jeff Travillion

Offensive lineman

6-3, 300

Highland Community College/Hendrickson High School

Pflugerville, Texas

In 2013, Travillion was a second-team Kansas Jayhawk Community College All-Conference choice as Highland advanced to the playoffs for the first time in school history.. He was part of an offense that led the conference in total offense (428 yards per game) and passing offense (305.6 yards per game), and was second in pass efficiency (146.1).

In high school, he was a four-year starter at offensive and defensive tackle. As a senior, he was a first-team 4A-25 All-District choice at offensive tackle. He also was recognized his junior year as a second-team choice on the 4A-25 All-District Team and the All-CenTex team.

Marquis Wallace-Hatcher

Cornerback

5-11, 195

Diablo Valley College/Las Lomas High School

Walnut Creek, Calif.

Wallace-Hatcher recorded six tackles for loss and had 33 total tackles for Diablo Valley in 2012. He also had two interceptions and five pass breakups.